State Legislators spent most of last week combing through Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ proposed budget for 2026 which aims to increase funding for voucher education and increase pay for correctional and state police officers. The Governor’s letter to lawmakers, dated March 4, also offers proposal’s for tax cuts, higher education, and career development but does not mention funding for a proposed 3,000 bed state prison in Franklin County.
District 3 Representative Stetson Painter sat down with KTLO News on Wednesday morning to discuss the new budget and what benefit’s could come to North Central Arkansas.
Listen:
The proposed budget allocates an additional $122 million to the Education Freedom Account program, better known as school vouchers. This increase would raise the total spend to $309 million on the program. Rep. Painter says the program serves around 44,000 children statewide but that the increase could be a tough ask of the legislature.
Listen:
With the focus on private education Rep. Painter was asked what is being done on the state level to address the needs of public schools.
Listen:
The budget includes $53.4 million for a new state employee pay plan, with the majority going to pay raises for Corrections officers and state troopers.
Listen:
The proposed prison for Franklin County is absent in the Governor’s budget letter. Rep. Painter says the votes are not lining up without special language being added in for the project.
Listen:
The prison has support but new ways of approaching the project need to be explored.
Listen:
Representative Painter says even with the proposed 3 percent budget increase the State of Arkansas is in a surplus and tax cuts are likely in the future.
Listen:
The budget remains in it’s earliest stages and the next steps start next week with audits and then the legislative council in the week to follow. Keep track of the budget and what actions are taken by following the House website at www.arkansashouse.org.
Rep. Stetson’s Painter’s full interview with KTLO’s Sammy Raycraft on Wednesday morning.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI